Thomas Egerton, 2nd Earl of Wilton

Thomas Egerton, 2nd Earl of Wilton PC ( * December 30, 1799, † March 7, 1882 ) was born as Thomas Grosvenor. He was a British aristocrat and Tory politician. He served as Lord Steward of the Household in 1835 in Sir Robert Peel's first Tory government.

He became internationally known because he wrote history in 1851 yacht with its invitation to the New York Yacht Club ( NYYC ) to participate in a yacht race in the waters off Cowes.

Journey

Thomas Egerton was the second son of Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster ( 1767-1845 ) and his wife Lady Eleanor Egerton, daughter of Thomas Egerton, 1st Earl of Wilton, was born. Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury, was his younger brother. In 1814, at the age of 14, he inherited from his maternal grandfather due to a special clause in the award of the degree the dignity of Earl of Wilton. In 1821 he took instead of the surname Grosvenor the name Egerton. As Earl of Wilton in 1820 he took his seat in the House of Lords of the British Parliament (House of Lords) a on his 21st birthday. In January 1835, he was appointed " Lord Steward of the Household " on the Tory government of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel. The following February, he was admitted to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom ( Privy Council ). The government resigned in April 1835 and Lord Wilton left his government post.

Sailing

Lord Wilton was the Commodore (Chairman ) of the posh Royal Yacht Squadron ( RYS ) 1849-1881. In this capacity he wrote yacht history with the invitation to the members of the New York Yacht Club ( NYYC ) to a sailing race in an open regatta series for all the nations of the Royal Yacht Squadron around the Isle of Wight on 22 August 1851. the yacht America the NYYC won the race hands down and received for their victory the silver Cup One Hundred Sovereigns Cup.

The owner of America John Cox Stevens donated after returning to the U.S. the Cup again and named it after the first winner of America's Cup. Thomas Egerton was recorded for his contributions to the America 's Cup posthumously in 2001 as an honorary member ( Inductee ) in the America's Cup Hall of Fame during a special ceremony held in the club rooms of the Royal Yacht Squadron during the 150 -year-old America's Cup Jubilee.

Family

Lord Wilton married in 1821 Lady Mary Stanley, daughter of Edward Smith Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby. After the death of his wife in 1858 he married his second wife, Isabella Smith. He had eleven children from his first marriage, of which only five survived to adulthood:

After death the earldom was Lord Wilton, 3rd Earl of Wilton passed on to his third and oldest of the surviving sons Arthur Egerton.